Science|Business: European Parliament appoints lead draftsmen for Horizon Europe

By Éanna Kelly

Romania’s Dan Nica will handle regulation and rules of participation for the next research programme, while German MEP Christian Ehler will take on specific programme

Romania’s Dan Nica and Germany’s Christian Ehler have been appointed as the two lead rapporteurs responsible for steering the next research programme, Horizon Europe, through the European Parliament.

Nica, former deputy prime minister of Romania and a member of the Socialists and Democrats group inside the assembly, will negotiate on the overall regulation and rules of participation of the programme, to run between 2021 and 2027, while Ehler, from the European Peoples’ Party, will handle ‘specific programme’, meaning the internal content.

Both MEPs, who sit on the Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, won their drafting roles after an auction-style process concluded earlier this week.